


sweetheart

by orphan_account



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Developing Relationship, Drabble Sequence, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8186489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: —what have you done to us? // star, tom, and a year with years that precedes it.100 chapters, 100 words.





	1. just numbers

**Author's Note:**

> i just want to write something about them i am t r a s h.  
> (sporadic updates, because this fanfic was born sporadically as well)

* * *

They’re five. He is fifty by demon years, but Star hadn’t time for numbers—she had time for fun and the churlish demon kid that her parents had for a “border briefing” with his parents was immediately _her_ playmate.

So she dragged him to a hidden courtyard to practice her sword-fighting. He levitated out of the way when she charged, telekinetically redirected her sword the other way when she parried.

 _It's not fun_ , he said, in the same grouchy growl before walking away from her.

(Star didn’t mention how his eyes sparkled when he made all her practicing a joke.)


	2. ask and find out

* * *

Somehow she's managed to track him down throughout her extensive castle. Then again he always did have the lousiest hiding skills; who hides behind potted plants, curtains and under the tables?

"Knock, knock, Tomcat!"

Tom grumbles under his breath before he pushes off his back and onto all fours to crawl out of the table. Pushing the tablecloth away, he's greeted with a bowl of ribbon candy, a grinning princess crouched behind it.

"How'd you find me?"

"By asking people." She pushed the bowl towards him. "Try some! They're really, really good!"

The artless offering surprised him. And offended him.


	3. this kid aint normal

* * *

Star pouted as she observed her newest friend glare from across the dining table. For some reason, she'd offended him today. Again.

And she'd no idea why! She'd simply tried to give him an arrangement of white feathers that were quite rare as an apology for the candies (maybe he didn't like candy?), but he'd done the same as he did with the candies.

Tom bristled. And hissed at her. And promptly flew off in a mad hurry.

So much time wasted! Star huffed, dared slouch in her seat. Why won't he just play with her like a normal kid?


	4. hide and be found

* * *

"What brings you down here?"

Tom glanced up. This time he's behind a bush and it's King Butterfly who asked the query. Tom looks back down. Instincts tell him this one won't be like his daughter.

"I like hiding."

King Butterfly makes a show of looking around. "From what?"

"Little Mewni girls who offends demon kids."

"Star means well." The king paused. "What did she try to give you this time?"

Tom bristled. Artless! "Hair from a lion's mane! That isn't something of value at all!"

"Perhaps it'd save you the trouble if you actually tell her the right way?"


	5. demonic ethics

* * *

Tom looked up with a sneer, but the king only winked, laughing, then strolled off. _No way_ , Tom declared to himself as he continued tangling his fingers around a silver hair tie he found lying around.

He might have enjoyed their sorry-excuse of sword fighting but he did not enjoy his instincts clamoring because the process was wrong and out of order.

Instructing her was out of the question, even if he wanted to.

Did he hate her?

Tom cocked his head. _Nope_. She's still a stranger, even if she's offended his instincts a lot more than she should have.


	6. hypothetical

* * *

"Tomcat!"

Tom wanted to sigh, but he puffed up his cheeks and decided to face the enemy anyway. Arms crossed, he stared her down while he floated with a neutral face. Star toothily grinned up.

Cute.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I ask if you wanna draw with me, will you do it?" She gushed excitedly, waving a pen with green ink at him.

He laughed. "Big words for a pipsqueak!"

"But you're a pipsqueak too!"

"Drawing's _boring_."

"But it doesn't offend you!" He blinked. "Mommy said we're better off doing fun things!"

Tom stared. Star grinned.

"And you liked our sword-fighting."


	7. surprise, surprise

* * *

He's dragged off to an office this time, a collection of snow globes sitting on the mantle above a fireplace. In front of it, scattered wads of paper and crayons, pens and pencils.

"Hey! Get down here!" Stop levitating, she meant.

Tom grinned, proceeding to float on his back, crossing his arms behind his head. "But I like it _up_ here."

He didn't expect for her to jump and latch around his waist. Startled, Tom lost control of his power and they landed on a heap.

"Meaner!" Star cried, hitting his shoulder repeatedly.

"That's what you get for surprising me!"


	8. another thing gone well

* * *

That night, it was King River's turn to tuck the princess to bed. Border briefings were going well for the first time in weeks, and he could breathe easier, be a little more relaxed.

"So, did you have fun today?" He asked her, smiling.

Star giggled against fur-lined pillows, blankets pulled to her chin. " _Lotsa_ fun."

"What about Tom? You didn't bully him again today, did you?"

"Oh, he had fun too!" She pointed at a wall, where two brightly-colored papers were displayed. One drawing featured ghastly figures of horned creatures. In pink. "He even used my cotton candy crayon."


	9. difficulty level

* * *

Though River had left two hours ago, Star still couldn't sleep. She was still buzzing with joy and excitement, toes wiggling under her blanket and fingers tapping her tummy expectantly.

Attached to indigo walls, there lay their drawings. After he'd drawn, he had floated away with nary a word, but he'd ruffled her hair in passing.

She'd gotten Tom to draw with her! Without getting him mad!

So he doesn't get angry if she asks? Star smiled, nodding to herself. She could do that. _Easy_. But how to tell if asking something won't make him mad too? She frowned. _Hard_.


	10. counsel

* * *

Star needed all the help she could get. She knew this, that's why when Ponyhead came just at the right time with sparkling glitters, Star wasted no time explaining to her.

After, Star hopefully looked up at Ponyhead.

"I dunno B-Fly," Ponyhead griped, trying hard to sound annoyed as she avoided her best friend's eyes. "Give 'im a dead moth or somethin'! I've read that demons liked dead things."

That is a lie, of course. Ponyhead didn't know squat about demons.

"You sure?"

"Sure as sugar!" The unicorn head scoffed, and Star smiled so widely, Ponyhead almost felt bad. Almost.


	11. reading up

* * *

Glossaryck was a _big_ help after five servings of pudding.

"According to the Mewnian demon archive on winning over a demon..."

"You mean making friends." The sage hummed distractedly, flipping through five hundred books at once. Glossaryck swatted her hand when she tried to touch them. "Hey!"

"Don't disrupt my process!" But then his hand shot out at one book and he thrust that to her hands. "Aha!"

"I can't read this!" He snatched it back.

"First, mischief." Star blinked. "To gain acknowledgement, instigate mischief! A telephone that rings at the same hour every night is a good head start."


	12. step 1 - instigate mischief

* * *

Step one would take a week alone; the longest step out of the rest! But who would she bother throughout the castle with Tom knowing? ... His _parents!_ Every suite had telephones; she knew their suite number.

Giggling, Star hurried to her room, dead of the night as it was.

For the next six nights, Tom would wake up to his parents' furious complaints about the incessant, mysterious calls in the dead of the night, papers burning in the fireplace in lieu of shooting fireballs, feeling highly amused when he'd catch a certain twinkle in the princess' eye the mornings after.


	13. step 2 - hand-touched

* * *

At the ninth day, Tom whisked her off, cackling. "What's your deal?" he demanded amid snickers. "Mom and dad are pissed!"

"Step one! Instigate mischief!" His eyes widened. Star cheerfully rocked back and forth, still airborne. "Did I get your attention?"

"Fair and square," he mumbled. "...And step two?"

Hand-touched. Something that hands held more than the sages could count. From her satchel, Star retrieved a tattered quill pen, the blue feather worn from use. Her daddy's favorite quill. The one he uses when signing _treat-e's_.

Tom cradled it, solemn-eyed, with both hands, then held hers for a long while.


	14. step 3 - sight meets courage

* * *

Tom looked down again, in the basin, where a goldfish with a torn fin swam around almost frantically, blood trailing its movements. He'd done that himself. Step three, sight meets courage. Taking to consideration her age, Tom showed her something less gore.

Despite her good intentions, he was sure she had no idea on what she was doing, and what they all meant in demon code. He wondered where she got the info, although.

"Queasy, yet?" He asked. If she said yes, previous efforts would go naught. She shook her head. _Good girl_. They would continue, then.

"It's just weird."


End file.
